By: Louise Risk

Wiakato Times

Aug. 12, 2011

A who's who of New Zealand country music is coming to Hamilton this weekend, and they are bringing a Nashville star with them.

The 2011 National Country Music Awards will be held at Founders Theatre in Hamilton tomorrow night and United States country music powerhouse Bryan White will be there presenting one of the awards.

White, once named on People magazine's most beautiful people list, was busy packing his bag at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this week.

The American, who joined forces with Shania Twain to sing From This Moment On and has won a raft of awards, including a Grammy, was excited about his first visit Down Under, but unsure what to expect.

"I don't know much about New Zealand," White said.

"I went to the library and checked a couple of DVDs about New Zealand to watch on my way over.

"I do know you have a lot of country music lovers there."

Kiwi country music legends Gray Bartlett, Brendan Dugan and Jodi Vaughn are also expected at the awards.

White said while he was in New Zealand he would be singing at a couple of private functions as well as attending the award ceremony but he hoped he would have time for some sightseeing as well.

"I love anything to do with the ocean," he said.

"And I love fishing. I don't know if I'll have time but I'd love to go fishing."

The National Country Music Awards, staged annually since 2006, was a one-stop opportunity for international agents to find out more about New Zealand's top country singers.

White said Kiwi country singers had every chance of hitting the big time in the United States if they were energetic and tenacious.

"Nashville is always looking for something new and fresh and different."

Tomorrow's show will also feature New Zealand's biggest selling artist across all music genres this year, Dennis Marsh, and Australian Jasmine Rae.The awards begin at 7.30pm, with tickets available from Ticketek.

A group of lucky Bryan fans crossed the threshold to the 'White House' this past Saturday for an evening of good food, great music and fun! The guest were treated to an intimate backyard concert and a tour of Bryan's Shmowland Studio, where he recorded "Dustbowl Dreams".

A fan who was in attendance summed up the event nicely in her blog saying,"Bryan opened his home, graciously, even greeting everyone as they walked through the front door. This was indeed the ultimate fan experience, an up-close and very personal look into his life. What a wonderful thing to share." To read more of the review from this fan, click here.

Bryan and his family want to thank all of those who came out  this past weekend and made the event a huge success. He hopes all of you had a wonderful time and enjoyed yourselves!

 

Founders Theatre, Hamilton, Saturday, August 13.
Tickets on sale NOW from Ticketek

Tickets have gone on sale for the 2011 National Country Music Awards to be held in Hamilton on Saturday, August 13.

The event - the most prestigious on the country music calendar - will be held at Founders Theatre, featuring New Zealand's biggest selling (of all genres) artist of 2011, DENNIS MARSH. Marsh's album Maori Songbook has achieved double platinum status in New Zealand, selling almost twice as many copies as his nearest Kiwi rival.

Also featuring at the 2011 National Country Music Awards will "the hottest new artist to come out of Australia in a long time", JASMINE RAE. Rae was nominated for an ARIA for her debut album Look It Up that yielded two #1 singles.

 

New Zealand's own country music legends GRAY BARTLETT, JODI VAUGHN, BRENDAN DUGAN and EDDIE LOW will deliver a night to remember, alongside the new brigade of stars KATIE THOMPSON, DAVID SHANHUN, VICKIE EVANS, HARRY HOOKEY, KAYLEE BELL, NZ Idol runner-up NIK CARLSON and TONY WILLIAMS.

Tickets to the National Country Music Awards will be strictly limited. They are on sale now at Ticketek.

Country Music Association international director Rob Potts - whose company has recently toured country mega-stars Keith Urban, Taylor Swift and Brooks & Dunn in Australia - is thrilled with the quality of artists being produced in New Zealand.

"This event is one of the most important events in country music in New Zealand."

The awards, staged annually since 2006 by the Kiwi Pro-Am Country Music Organisation, are a place where promoters, international agents can come to for information on the cream of the crop artists in New Zealand.

American country music powerhouse, BRYAN WHITE, has confirmed his attendance at the awards. White has charted 17 singles on Billboard's Country Charts, had six number one singles, two platinum records, two gold records, he joined forces with Shania Twain and together they took "From This Moment On" all the way up to number four on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart. He has a Grammy, a CMA Horizon Award, and an ACM Top Male Vocalist award among them. And, with his songwriting, he helped several other artists climb the charts including Wynonna and LeAnn Rimes. The accolades led him to various TV appearances such as "The Tonight Show," "Late Night With David Letterman," NBC's "The Today Show," and "CBS This Morning." However, despite all of his music successes, it is an award from outside of the music arena that is probably the best indicator of who White really is; People Magazine named him one of their "fifty most beautiful people" in the world and everyone who knows him finds it easy to understand why.

The National Country Music Awards have also played a key role in establishing a transtasman artist exchange programme that has seen the winner of the NZ Horizon Award perform at the biggest country music event in the Southern Hemisphere at Tamworth and the Australian equivalent perform at the New Zealand awards.

This year, the Horizon Award winner will have the added distinction of performing on the Global Artist Showcase as part of the CMA Music Festival in Nashville -- the largest country music festival in the world. No other NZ artist for decades has been given this major opportunity at instant stardom.

Potts says "It's very encouraging for country music in this part of the world, to see NZ establishing international pathways for their young artists to gain exposure and experience and Kiwi Pro-Am has been a major force in connecting with the CMA to drive this outcome."

 

Hey Bryan White fans - join Bryan for the ultimate BW experience! Bryan's cookin' up a very special evening at the White house...the White house in Tennessee that is! Join Bryan for an intimate evening of music and fun, BBQ and much more on August 6th at Bryan's house just outside Nashville.   Click here to make your reservations now as space is limited for this special evening. 

By:  Matt Lawrence
Fairfield City Champion
July 15, 2011

''He's one of my best friends,'' White said. ''Steve was my hero growing up - I wanted to be Steve when I was a kid and I couldn't wait to get to Nashville and hopefully one day meet him. Now, looking back, it's just so great to know him personally.

''We've worked together quite a bit. We write - we've had some songs recorded by other artists as well. Just having him a part of it is over the top.''

In his American press surrounding the release, White was quoted as saying he no longer had anything to prove, but still had much to say via his music.

''I don't know that that necessarily applies to Australia, because I feel like maybe I do have something to prove,'' he laughed.

''It's kind of a statement that I have to tell myself because if I don't I will start putting those old pressures on myself and feel like I constantly need to prove myself to the industry and my peers.

''That's something I tell myself to remind myself, 'hey, you don't have to beat yourself up, you just have to be yourself and the past is the past and you've already shown people what you are capable of, just rest in that and do the best you can'. That's where that statement came from.''

These days White's name is being touted by numerous emerging artists as having been an influence.

Even Carrie Underwood is a fan.

''I know a lot of people out there would say, 'well that's got to be normal for you', but it's never something that's passe to me,'' White said.

''I know Carrie, she's a dear friend and yes she's a huge star, but I've been all of the same places that all of those people have been, so they're just human beings and I just see them as exceptional people and artists that are paying me a compliment and it really boosts my confidence. It makes me feel good when I hear somebody compliment what I've done in the past.''

Passing on his skills is also something that also excites White. Earlier this year he joined the rosters of The Songwriter Agency Inc.

''It's awesome,'' he said. ''I've just started working with them. I'm actually on the roster with Steve Wariner and we're hopefully going to be doing some stuff down the road, but they're focus is on booking their artists to go do songwriting workshops, maybe where we will be in a scenario to teach aspiring songwriters

''He's one of my best friends,'' White said. ''Steve was my hero growing up - I wanted to be Steve when I was a kid and I couldn't wait to get to Nashville and hopefully one day meet him. Now, looking back, it's just so great to know him personally.

''We've worked together quite a bit. We write - we've had some songs recorded by other artists as well. Just having him a part of it is over the top.''

In his American press surrounding the release, White was quoted as saying he no longer had anything to prove, but still had much to say via his music.

''I don't know that that necessarily applies to Australia, because I feel like maybe I do have something to prove,'' he laughed.

''It's kind of a statement that I have to tell myself because if I don't I will start putting those old pressures on myself and feel like I constantly need to prove myself to the industry and my peers.

''That's something I tell myself to remind myself, 'hey, you don't have to beat yourself up, you just have to be yourself and the past is the past and you've already shown people what you are capable of, just rest in that and do the best you can'. That's where that statement came from.''

These days White's name is being touted by numerous emerging artists as having been an influence.

Even Carrie Underwood is a fan.

''I know a lot of people out there would say, 'well that's got to be normal for you', but it's never something that's passe to me,'' White said.

''I know Carrie, she's a dear friend and yes she's a huge star, but I've been all of the same places that all of those people have been, so they're just human beings and I just see them as exceptional people and artists that are paying me a compliment and it really boosts my confidence. It makes me feel good when I hear somebody compliment what I've done in the past.''

Passing on his skills is also something that also excites White. Earlier this year he joined the rosters of The Songwriter Agency Inc.

''It's awesome,'' he said. ''I've just started working with them. I'm actually on the roster with Steve Wariner and we're hopefully going to be doing some stuff down the road, but they're focus is on booking their artists to go do songwriting workshops, maybe where we will be in a scenario to teach aspiring songwriters

 

American country music singer-songwriter Bryan White is hoping to leave a lasting impression when he makes his first Australian appearance at next month's Gympie Music Muster in Queensland.

''I'm so excited ... it's new territory for me,'' White said. ''I have no idea what to expect. I have tons of friends who have been there [Australia] and toured there and have given me their stories or how much fun it was, how beautiful it was and lastly how great the people were.

''This really is like starting over but its exciting at the same time. Just in the preparation, in putting the whole thing together, its been rather nostalgic because it reminds me of all of the prep work that we had to do in the beginning to really launch me as an artist and I kind of feel like we're doing that all over again.

''I'm also excited about being a tourist too - I'm excited about just going and seeing the beach. I've been reading just so much about Australia online just trying to get my bearings before I get there.''

Bryan White first appeared on the American country music scene in the mid-1990s.

Signed to a major label at age 20, it was time where he arguably had the world sitting at his feet.

In a few short years he racked up six chart-topping singles, had two platinum records, two gold records, and had bagged an impressive string of awards, including a Grammy for his duet with Shania Twain, From This Moment On.

Then came 2000 and White walked away from the scene.

He says it was essential.

Read more: Introducing Bryan White - again

2011 Optus Gympie Music Muster Announces First Confirmed Line-Up

The 2011 Optus Gympie Music Muster marks its 30th birthday with a confirmed line-up of national and international talent paying tribute to the history and heritage of the event whilst also reflecting on the major milestone. Presented in the AMAMOOR CREEK STATE FOREST from TUESDAY 23rd AUGUST to SUNDAY 28th AUGUST 2011, the confirmed line-up already has the event anticipating its biggest audience numbers yet.

MONTGOMERY GENTRY (USA), DOC WALKER (CAN), KASEY CHAMBERS, LEE KERNAGHAN, ADAM BRAND, ASH GRUNWALD, BECCY COLE, NICK BARKER, JACE EVERETT, ADAM HARVEY, GRAEME CONNORS, JAMES BLUNDELL, SHANE NICHOLSON, THE SUNNY COWGIRLS, EZRA LEE, DOUG BRUCE, JAMES REYNE, HARMONY JAMES, ROSS WILSON, JASMINE RAE, ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART (USA), BRYAN WHITE (USA), THE BACKSLIDERS, McALISTER KEMP, PETER McWHIRTER, ROB BLACK, ERIC BOGLE, KIRSTY AKERS, JAYNE DENHAM, EUGENE HIDEAWAY BRIDGES (USA), ALEYCE SIMMONDS, BLUE SHADDY, BONDI CIGARS, MORGAN EVANS, THE WILSON PICKERS, LOWRIDER, TRAVIS COLLINS, STEVE FORDE and THE ULTIMATE ROCK ‘N' ROLL SESSION are the first inclusions confirmed for the 2011 Optus Gympie Music Muster. ***Bryan will be performing August 27 & 28, 2011.

Read more: Bryan White is ‘Cutting the Muster’